“I don’t think anyone’s ever said fancy in reference to me before.”
“I imagine they haven’t.” In direct contrast to Heather’s acerbic tone, Natalia’s dripped with sugar and honey and all those sweet girly things that a woman put in her voice when interested in a guy.
Heather didn’t hide her eye roll. “Seth, this is Natalia Lowen.” As she made the introduction, Heather felt a sharp pain to the chest that she didn’t quite recognize. Maybe it was indigestion. Didn’t pregnant women get all sorts of heartburn?
Seth took Nat’s outstretched hand. “I know who you are, Natalia.”
Heather wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up from the sudden chill that passed through her coincidentally at the same moment that Seth’s gaze had left her for Nat.
“You do? I’m flattered…Seth, was it?” Did Nat just thrust out her chest? Oh God. She was already buxom. She didn’t need to thrust to flaunt it.
“Yeah. Seth Rafferty.” He winked at the young actress. “Nice to meet such a wonderful up and coming star.”
Nat blushed.
But before Natalia could respond with an equally flirtatious line, Heather cut in. “I’m going in my trailer. Interesting seeing you again, Seth. Nat, see you tomorrow.”
Heather opened the door to her trailer and climbed the stairs, forcing herself to not look back. And not to make too much from the fact that neither Seth nor Nat had acknowledged her departure. Inside, she quickly stripped out of her costume, stifling a scream of frustration that would surely be heard if they were still outside making eyes at each other.
What was with that anyway? Winking and smooth talking. Did Seth come on to every actress he met? He probably did. Isn’t that what any normal guy in his position would do? He was a tradesman working around beautiful rich women. A hot tradesman who turned Heather into a big doughy pretzel on the inside.
But that was beside the point. The point was she wasn’t special to him. That was fine. Seth wasn’t special to her either. Not in the least.
Except, if she had his baby…
Fuck it. She wasn’t thinking about that anymore. She’d deal with that if it turned out she was pregnant, not before.
She stripped down to her underwear then wrapped her silk robe around her, knotting the belt. Then she gathered her costume up to hang outside her trailer. If she didn’t, a costume assistant would likely come by knocking on her door while she was in the shower.
Or maybe that was just an excuse to see if Seth and Nat were still outside getting friendly.
She opened her door and found them where she’d left them. Neither of them looked up as she hung her costume on her door. They simply continued giggling and winking. Well, Nat was giggling, twirling her hair around her finger while Seth winked and nodded.
It was gross. Like, make Heather puke kind of gross.
Also, it made her indigestion worse, or whatever that sharp pain in her chest was.
And before Seth went spreading his seed with her costar, he should probably know about the seed he’d possibly implanted in her. Yes, she’d decided she wasn’t going to think about the pregnancy prospect, but she had a right to change her mind. It was a service to her fellow actress. Besides, she still hadn’t figured out why he was there. It seemed like a rather odd coinky-dink.
Without a second thought, she said, “Seth, can I talk to you?”
“Sure.” He didn’t move.
“In private.” She gestured inside her trailer behind her.
“I need to get changed, anyway,” Natalia said. “See you around, I hope.”
“I’m sure you will,” Seth said and an unexpected urge to kick him in the nuts washed over Heather.
She stepped inside and out of his way, holding the door open so he could walk past her.
“If you wanted me in your trailer, Heather, you know all you had to do was ask.”
She let the door slam, ignoring how giddy it made her to hear her name on his lips and paced back and forth a few times before turning and leveling a stare at him. “What are you doing here, Seth?”
“You said you needed to talk.” He leaned against the counter across from her as if he felt completely comfortable in her private space.
“I mean, on the set of this movie.” She forced herself to keep her eyes on his face and not on his thighs bulging through his tight jeans. His f**king gorgeous thighs.
“Working, princess. Just like you.”
And just as she’d been giddy at him saying her name, the return of his god-awful nickname for her made her slaphappy like a drunken teenager. She refused to let him see his effect on her, though, and kept focused. “But on my movie? That can’t be a coincidence.”
“It can’t?” Seth scratched behind his neck. “Hollywood isn’t really that big of a town.”
Of course he’d evade her. Like always. Talking to Seth was like playing a game of Ring around the Rosie. He liked to force her to be blunt. “I’m just going to come right out and ask—are you stalking me?”
“Stalking you? God, I forgot how high and mighty you were.”
“It’s a reasonable question.” Had he averted his eyes when he answered? Maybe that was her imagination. “Look, I’ve never seen you before in my life and suddenly you’re everywhere.”
“I’m not everywhere. Add drama queen to your list of personality traits.”
“Whatever.”
“If that’s all…” He straightened.
“No, wait. That’s not all.”
“What?”
“I have something to… Did you…I mean…” She stumbled over her words. As many times as she’d practiced this conversation, none of her lines seemed right. She put a hand to each temple and closed her eyes. “I wasn’t on birth control,” she spat out. She opened her eyes slightly, peering at him like she’d peer at a bad accident—not wanting to see, but needing to all the same.
“Okay.” Seth drew the two short syllables out, as if he didn’t know how to react to her statement.
“That night. At the hotel.” Was he purposefully making this difficult?
He nodded once, leaning back onto the counter. “I figured that’s what you meant.” His hand came up to rub his chin, which was stubbly from a long day on set. “What I can’t figure out is why you’re telling me.”
“Are you kidding me?” He was purposefully making this more difficult. He had to be. But if he wanted her to spell it out for him, she could do that and still keep her head high. Maybe.